Sintering machine



YMam-,h 28, 1933. G. E. swlNEHART 1,902,918

SINTERING MACHINE March 28, 1933. G. E. swlNEl-IART SNTERING MACHINE Filed March 19. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 28, 1933 PATENT OFFICE GEORGE E. SWINEHABT, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY HESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

T0 AMERICAN ORE BECLAMATION COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, .A CORPORA- TION 0F ILLINOIS SINTEBING MACHINE Application led latch 19, 1930. Serial No. 438,924.

This `invention relates to sintering ma-` chines, and more particularl to machines for sintering ores, ilue dust an other materials containing combustible ingredients.'

In sintering machines the material to be sintered is deposited upon a grate and 1s ignited, after which combustion is propagated throughout the mass by causing passage of an air current through the same. In the Dwight and Lloyd type of sintering machine, for which my invention is particularly adapted, a plurality of pallets, forming a train, are moved along an endless track. The palletspf the upper run of the track travel beneath the feed hopper from which the material is discharged onto the grate sections of the pallets, after which the pallets pass beneath an ignition device which serves to ignite the material and, during the continued travel of the pallets along the upper run of the track they pass above a succession of wind boxes by means of which a down draft is produced through the material so that combustion is propagated downwardly throughout the mass. At the discharge or delivery end of the machine, thesintered material is discharged' from the pallet. In general, materials to be sintered contain fine particles, commonly designated as tines, and relatively large or coarse particles, commonly designated as aggregates. It is the present practice to deposit the material upon the grate of the pallet with the fines and aggregates intermixed indiscriminately. As a result, the fines are often disposed directlyupon the upper face of the grate section and act to clog or stop up to an appreciable extent, the openings or perorations through'the grate. This is objectionable as seriously interfering with flow of air and products of combustion through the grate section, with the result that the combustion of the material is retarded and the output of the machine is correspond ingly curtailed.

I have found that it is possible to separate the fines and aggregates of the material to be sintered, by gravity, during operation of the machine and in such manner as to dispose the tes directly upon the upper face of the grate section, the fines being disposed upon the aggregates.

The aggregates being relatively large or coarse provide a lower loose and porous grate layer which will not clog the grate, and this lower layer serves to support the upper layer of fines out of contact with the grate surface. This is highly advantageous as eliminating cloggingor stoppage of the grate sections, thus promoting more rapid combustion of "the material and greatly increasing the output of the machine. One of the main objects of my invention is to provide simple and ecient means whereby the material, as it is delivered to the grate sections, is separated by gravity into aggregates and lines, the aggregates being de osited directly upon the grate sections and t e fines being deposited upon the lower layer of aggregates thus formed, A further object of my invention is to provide means of the character described which can readily be applied to a sintering machine of the continuous type without in any way interfering with the operation of such machine. Another object is to provide means for separating the material into fines and aggregates and for delivering the the grate sections in advance of t e fines and durin travel of the pallets. Further objects and a van of my invention will appear from the detailed description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the feed hopper and associated parts of a continuously operating sintering machine, showlng my invention as applied thereto, parts belng shown in elevation, this section being taken substantially on line 1-1 of Figure 2 .Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectionai view through the feed hopper and associated parts, tlaken substantially on line 2-2 of igure 3 is a section taken substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

4 is a section through a layer of ma teria such as is deposited upon the grate sections in accordance with present practice, the iines and. aggregates being intermixed indiscriminately;

Figure 5 is a sectipn through a layer of ma gregates to 4 terial such as is deposited upon the grate sections in accordance with my invention, this material being separated into fines and aggregates, the aggregates forming a lower layer and the fines forming an upper layer superposed upon said lower layer.

I have illustrated my invention as applied, b .way of example, to a sintering machine o the Dwight and Lloyd type. Such machines are well known in the art and need not be illustrated nor described in detail.

The machine comprises a main frame 1 to which rails 2 are suitably secured, these rails forming tracks at the up er run of the machine. The tracks thus ormed receive rollers 3 of pallets 4 which are suitably propelled along the upper run of the track. The pallets are elevated from the lower run of the track in a known manner, as by means of sprocket wheels, and are ropelled along the upper run of the track, ormin a train the pallets of which are in contact wlth each other. Each of the pallets 4 carries a grate 5 of any suitable or preferred type, this grate being provided with perforations or openings to permit of ready assage therethrough of air and products o combustion during trave] of the pallets over the wind boxes.

A ho per frame 6, of suitable type, is mounte upon the main frame 1 in a suitable manner and adjacent the feed end of the machine. A feed hopper 7 is suitablv supported in frame 6 and extends downwardly to within a short distance of the pallets 4. This hop- 35 ser comprises front wall 8, rear wall 9, and

ownwardly converging side walls 10 provided at their lower ends with extensions or wings 11 disposed to project downwardly a short distance into the pallets 4 so as to di-I rect the material into the same.

A gate plate 12 is disposed adjacent the front face of wall 8 of the hopper. This plate is secured to two angle strips 13 which are secured at their ends to Z-shaped strips 14, the fbrward ilanges of which operate between guide strips 15 and angle bars 16 to which these strips are secured, the angle bars being secured to uprghts 17. Sleeves 18 are secured to the strips 14, these sleeves being interiorly threaded for reception of adjusting screws 19. The screws 19 are rotatably mounted through bearing brackets 20 suitably mounted upon an upper cross angle bar 21 of the hopper frame. A bevel gear 22 is secured upon the upper end of each of the screws 19 and meshes with a bevel gear 23 secured upon a shaft 24 rotatably mounted in the brackets 20. A hand wheel 25 is se-V extending fore and aft thereof, this spout being operated in a known manner. It is the present practice to iprovide the hopper 7 with a fixed plate whic is inclined downwardly and forwardly of the hopper, the material being delivered from the spout onto the upper face of this plate, which discharges the material downwardly and forwardl against the lower portion of front wall 8 o the hopper. The material thus discharged collects at the front wall of the hopper in a pile upon the traveling grate sections, the fines and aggregates being indiscriminately intermixed. As the grate sections pass beneath plate 12, this plate serves to scrape olf or remove the material to an extent depending upon the ad- Justment of the plate, thus forming upon the grate sections of the pallet a layer of material of substantially uniform de th. In this layer of material the fines an aggregates are intermixed indiscriminately, so that an appreciable portion of the fines is disposed at the .bottom of the layer, as in Figure 4, directly apron the upper face of the grate sections. ese lines stop up or clog the openings of the grate sections, during the sintering operation, and materially reduce the rate of combustion and the output of the machine, as above pointed out.

I have found that the above noted objections to the present practice can be avoided by depositing the material upon the grate sections in such manner as tocause separation, by gravity, of the larger and heavier particles or aggregates from the fines, and disposing the aggregates thus separated directly upon the grate sections so as to provide a lower loose and porous layer of aggreates. This yresult can be accomplished y lsposmg the material in a pile or ridgeso -inclined that the larger and heavier particles or aggre tes will roll by gravity to the bottom of t e pile so as to be disposed directly upon the surface of the grate sections, while the smaller and lighter particles, or fines remain at the upper portion of the pile.

The an le of repose for materials to be sintered varies with the character of the material, and the moisture content thereof. To obtain the most efficient results, it is desirable to vary the position of the top of the pile or ridge of material formed, in such manner that the largest amount of coarse particles or aggfegates in a given sintering mixture will ro to the bottom of the bed or layer to be sintered so as to be disposed directlyl upon the te surface, thus protecting t e grate an increasing the porosity of the bed. I nd that this result can readily be accomplished by roviding a baille plate or dellector arr so that it can be adjusted with facility and in ular relation to the front wall of the feed opper. This plate ma be considered as constltutin the effective ront wall of the feed hopper w lich,

in the broader aspects of my invention, is not essential under certain conditions.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated, I provide a deflector in the form of a baiile plate 27 which is hinged at its uppler edge, at 28, to the iiplper edge of front wa 8 of the hopper 7. e plate 27 is rovided,

djacent the lower end and each side there- E, with an elongated slot 29 which receives an adjusting rod 30 upon the forward end of which is secured an abutment member 31 having a rounded surface contacting the forward face of plate 27.

Rods 30 pass through a channel bar 32 which extends transversely of rear wall 9 of the hopper, and has threaded engagement through collar 33 suitably secured to the bar 32. A hand wheel 34 is suitably secured upon the rearward end of each of the rods 30 for rotating it and adjusting the plate 27 toward or away from front wall 8 of the hopper. The spout 26 is disposed to direct the material delivered therefrom onto the rearward face of plate 27, this material flowing downwardly along the plate so as to form a pile at the lower end thereof. B properly adjustin the an lar relation o plate 27 relative to ront wa l 8 of the hopper, that is by properly adjusting the plate 27 on its hinge axis, the inclination of the rearward face of the ridge or pile of material formed at the lower end of the plate can be varied within limits, to suit the particular material being treated. The adjustment of the plate 27 is such that the larger particles or a gregates of the material will readily roll own the pile onto the upper face of the gratesection at the u per portion of the pile. As a result of t is adjustment of the plate, the material to be sintered is separated, by gravity, into aggregates and fines, the aggregates being deposited upon the grate sections in advance of the fines so as to form a loose and porous lower layer or thickness of material upon which the fines are deposited to provide an upper layer or thickness superposed upon p this lower layer of a gregates.

The lower layer o aggrefgates is desi ated 35, the upper layer 'of nes bein esignated 36. eferring more particu arl` to Figures 4 and 5, it will be noted that in igure 4, which may be considered as representative of the resent practice y an appreciable quantit of nes is disposed at t e bottom layer o material, which is objectionable since these fines, being directly upon the grate surfaces, elog and stop the openin s of the grate to an objectionab e degree. n Figure 5 which may be considered asP illustrative of my invention, the material is disposed in two distinct layers, the lower layer 35 of course particles or aggregates being disposed upon the grate surfaces to provide a loose and porous layer which facilitates ready passage the finer particles or fines remainingighly efficient means whereby the material'r to be sintered is separated, by gravity, during the continuous operation of the machine into fines and aggregates, and the aggregates and fines are deposited upon the grate section in two layers the aggregates forming the lower layer and the fines the upper layer.

My invention can be applied to continuous sintering machines of known type without necessitating any material changes in the machine and has the eat advanta e of preventing clogging of t e grate sections, thus materially increasing the rate of combustion and the output of the machine. The particular embodiment of my invention ilustrated is by way of example only, and changes in construction and arran ement of arts may be resorted to without eparting rom the iield and scope of the same, and I.

intend to include all such variations, as fall within the scope of the appended claims, in this application in which the preferred form onl ofm invention is disclosed..

at claim is 1. In combination in a sintering machine, a plate, a grate structure traveling beneath the plate, the plate being inclined downward- Aly and contra to the direction of travel of the grate structure, and means for delivering material to be sintered to the late remote from the lower end thereof and) in a freely ilowing stream against the rear inclined face of the plate.

2. In combination in a sintering machine, a plate, a grate structure traveling beneath the plate, the plate being inclined downwardly and contra to the direction of travel of the grate structure, and a spout disposed to deliver material to be sintered to the plate remote from the lower end thereofand in a freely flowing stream against the rear inclined face of the plate.

3. In combination in a sintering machine, a plate, a flat grate structure traveling beneath the plate, the plate being inclined downwardly and contra to the direction of travel of the grate structurerand said fiat grate structure extending rearwardly beyond the plane of the plate a suicient distance to permit of materials delivered from the plate accumulating in a ridge upon the grate structure and in rear of the plane of the plate, and means for deliverin material to be sintered to the plate remote rom the lower end thereof and in a freely flowing stream against the' rear inclined face of the plate.

4. In combination in a sintering machine, a traveling at grate structure, a late above the grate structure and inclined ownwardl and contra to the direction of travel of tlie grate structure and means for delivering material to be sintered to the grate structure in a stream tlowin freely downwardly alon the rear inclined ace of the plate from a. point remote from the lower end of said plate and at a rate commensurate with the rate of travel of the grate structure, said flat grate structure extending rearwardly beyond the plane of the plate a considerable distance sufficient to permit of the delivered material accumulating in a. rid upon the grate structure and in rear of t e plane of said plate.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 14th day of March 1930.

GEO. E. SWINHART.

CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION.

Patent No. I, 902, 918.

GEORGE E. SWINEHART.

It is hereby certified that the State of Incorporation of tite assignee in .the above numbered patent was erroneously described and specified as "Illinois" whereas said State of Incorporation should have been described and specified as "New York" as shown by the records of assignment Letters Patent should be read with this corre form to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed Vand sealed this 16th day of May, A. D. 1933.

March 28, 1933.

s in this office; and that the said cton therein that the same may con- M. J. llfonreu Acting Commissioner of Patents.

of and in a freely flowing stream against the' rear inclined face of the plate.

4. In combination in a sintering machine, a traveling at grate structure, a late above the grate structure and inclined ownwardl and contra to the direction of travel of tlie grate structure and means for delivering material to be sintered to the grate structure in a stream tlowin freely downwardly alon the rear inclined ace of the plate from a. point remote from the lower end of said plate and at a rate commensurate with the rate of travel of the grate structure, said flat grate structure extending rearwardly beyond the plane of the plate a considerable distance sufficient to permit of the delivered material accumulating in a. rid upon the grate structure and in rear of t e plane of said plate.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 14th day of March 1930.

GEO. E. SWINHART.

CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION.

Patent No. I, 902, 918.

GEORGE E. SWINEHART.

It is hereby certified that the State of Incorporation of tite assignee in .the above numbered patent was erroneously described and specified as "Illinois" whereas said State of Incorporation should have been described and specified as "New York" as shown by the records of assignment Letters Patent should be read with this corre form to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed Vand sealed this 16th day of May, A. D. 1933.

March 28, 1933.

s in this office; and that the said cton therein that the same may con- M. J. llfonreu Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

